Walsh & Hoyt: Diabetic Papillopathy

Early reports of diabetic papillopathy described the acute onset of unilateral or bilateral optic disc edema in young, type I diabetics, without the usual defects invisual field and pupillary function associated with NAION or optic neuritis. Disc edema was prolonged in these cases, but vision generally was preserved. A recent report added a substantial number of older patients with type II diabetes. Overall, fewer than100 total cases have beenreported, and the specific criteria for diagnosis have been vague, especially regarding the allowable degree of optic nerve dysfunction and the corresponding differentiation from mild NAION.